mutter

[muht-er] /ˈmʌt ər/
verb (used without object)
1.
to utter words indistinctly or in a low tone, often as if talking to oneself; murmur.
2.
to complain murmuringly; grumble.
3.
to make a low, rumbling sound.
verb (used with object)
4.
to utter indistinctly or in a low tone:
to mutter complaints.
noun
5.
the act or utterance of a person who mutters.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English moteren, perhaps frequentative of moot1 (Old English mōtian to speak); see -er6
Related forms
mutterer, noun
mutteringly, adverb
unmuttered, adjective
unmuttering, adjective
unmutteringly, adverb
Synonyms
1. See murmur.
Examples from the web for mutter
  • Later you will mutter many words into your pillow, but those words will never come back to haunt you.
  • All of them were dumbfounded and couldn't mutter much of a response.
  • So much for green technology creating employment, mutter carmakers.
  • The chime of a high-priority email cut across the mutter of the television.
  • UN officials mutter about packing their bags and leaving, perhaps taking their peacekeepers with them, if these talks fail.
  • They mutter that these were beauty contests and non-binding votes where no delegates were awarded.
British Dictionary definitions for mutter

mutter

/ˈmʌtə/
verb
1.
to utter (something) in a low and indistinct tone
2.
(intransitive) to grumble or complain
3.
(intransitive) to make a low continuous murmuring sound
noun
4.
a muttered sound or complaint
Derived Forms
mutterer, noun
muttering, noun, adjective
mutteringly, adverb
Word Origin
C14 moteren; related to Norwegian (dialect) mutra, Old High German mutilōn; compare Old English mōtian to speak

Mutter

/ˈmʊtə/
noun
1.
Anne-Sophie. born 1963, German violinist
Word Origin and History for mutter
v.

early 14c., moteren "to mumble," from a common PIE imitative *mut- "to grunt, mutter" (cf. Old Norse muðla "to murmur," Latin muttire "to mutter," Old High German mutilon "to murmur, mutter; to drizzle"), with frequentative suffix -er. Related: Muttered; muttering.

n.

1630s, from mutter (v.).

mutter in Technology


To quietly enter a command not meant for the ears, eyes, or fingers of ordinary mortals. Often used in "mutter an incantation".
See also wizard.
[Jargon File]
(1995-02-06)